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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Hang 'Em High by Tristi Pinkston

The Secret Sisters are at it again—this time, they're solving mysteries on a dude ranch.

Backliner: When Ida Mae Babbitt receives an invitation to visit her son Keith's dude ranch in Montana, she's excited to mend their broken relationship, but not so excited about spending time with cows. Arlette and Tansy go along with her, ready to take a vacation that does not involve dead bodies or mysteries of any sort—one must have a break from time to time. But it seems a no-good scoundrel has moseyed into Dodge City and is bent on causing all sorts of trouble for the ranch. Unable to keep her curiosity in check—especially when it seems her own son is the most likely culprit—Ida Mae decides to investigate. Can she lasso the varmint and get him to the sheriff in time?

Hang 'Em High is what is called a "cozy" mystery—meaning, it's a very light and easy read (not a James Patterson). The good thing about a cozy is it is usually very character-driven. There's nearly as much time spent on the characters—learning they're quirks and delving into their emotions—as there is spent on the actual mystery plot. You really come to love the characters. Ida Mae, Arlette and Tansy are so unique and individualized, each with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. They are definitely three of my favorite cozy mystery characters.

The bad thing about a cozy is it is usually very character-driven. Some cozies start out a little slower than I like and I'm impatient to get to the dead bodies (or whatever). That was my experience with Hang 'Em High. It took awhile for the actual mystery part of it to get started.

However, once they get to the ranch, the pace picks up quite nicely. Which is not to say you should skip the first few chapters because there are some funny parts (like Ida Mae and Arlette's discussion about double-knit vs blue jeans). But once at the farm, the book just blossoms. More than once, I found myself laughing out loud over the antics of these "mature" ladies.

The plot (once they get to the ranch) was great. There were several possible culprits and I figured out who it was at just the right time in the storyline. The dialogue was fun and funny. The characterization was dead-on for the recurring characters. And I really liked how Ida Mae is finally re-connecting with her son and clearing up some of the issues of their past.

If you like clean, cozy mysteries, you'll like this one. I give it four stars. And as soon as it's available for the iPad, I'm getting it for my mom (who loves the series).

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